also sprach Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> [2008.02.17.0029 +0100]:
> > But sometimes you will have to touch an integration branch and then
> > things get messy, especially if there are dependencies between feature
> > branches. I think David is making a very strong point here...
>
> No. You never, ever touch an integration branch. If you do,
> you are correct in assuming the mouth of hell shall open and
> spew forth the demons. The integration branch is only for pulling in
> changes from the feature branches; this is why we have a "debian"
> feature branch.
I meant to say "feature branch".
> You hack in the sloppy branch. You merge change sets from the
> sloppy branch into the feature branches. You merge the delta from the
> feature branch into the integration branch. In my experience, there is
> usually no new mess -- since you are only merging the delta in the
> integration branch; the step you took earlier to deal with the mess
> usually still apply.
So what about dependencies between feature branches? Aren't you just
taking extra care to do it right manually, when in fact the system
should take care of it for you?
> > But I may want to see the differences from upstream nicely separated
> > into patches, rather than whole chunks?
>
> You mean you do not want to see the differences between a
> feature branch and upstream as one chunk, but nicely segregated in
> smaller pieces?
Yes, just like I want to have feature branches instead of one
gigantic debian branch.
> Not really, unless your feature branches are poorly chosen.
> Each feature branch, in my packages, represent onlogical feature that
> belongs in the same patch (series).
Right, but given five feature branches, once you create the diff.gz,
there are no more patch*es* or series anymore, there's just one
huge file with everything. Why should we lose the logical separation
between features you have in the VCS when creating the source
package.
--
.''`. martin f. krafft <madduck@debian.org>
: :' : proud Debian developer, author, administrator, and user
`. `'` http://people.debian.org/~madduck - http://debiansystem.info
`- Debian - when you have better things to do than fixing systems
"i doubt larry wall ever uses strict."
-- frederick heckel